New Tank - Help Needed

[venkiw]

About three weeks ago, I bought a 75 gallon tank, the local water contains chloramine, and I am using a Fluval 404 filter and a 300 watt heater. After letting the water settle down at 79 deg F and Ph 7.0, and the filter running for 2 days. I added cycle and Insta Chlor to treat the water at the time of addition.

I made a visit to the LFS (my water sample was perfect) and bought 6 gold Gouramis (2") and 2 plants. I have a self test kit for ammonia, I check every alternate day and the ammonia was below 0.5 ppm on the 3rd day after adding the fish, but subsequent test were indicating no ammonia presence.

The following week I added 2 platys and one more plant and did a 30% water change even though no ammonia was detected(with the regular inst chlor and cycle dosage). Every test since then has not detected the presence of ammonia. So I thought my tank was cycling well at this point even though is was less than 10 days old.

The following week I added 2 medium sized swordtails and 8 really small neon tetras and a small pleco (as there was some algae growth on my plants), I also did a 30% water change right after adding the fish (this may not have been a good idea, I might have shocked my neons), they looked alright when I went to bed but when I woke up one of them was gone. I also read that the neons need an ideal temperature of 62 -74 deg F. so I reduced my heater to maintain at 75 deg F. That night I checked and I still had 7 neons, but in the morning I was left with 5. One was missing and the other was caught in the filter inlet ( I am assuming that it was dead by then). My other fishes are doing fine.

I feed them all 4 flakes of Nutrafin Max in the morning and Frozen Brine shrimp at night (the regular size tablet).

Is my water test fooling me or are the small neon tetras difficult to raise. Please advice as I do not want to lose any fish no more.

Note added after further investigation:

I think my nitrites are spiking. I am reducing the amount of feed (1 feed per day). I am also reducing the flow rate of my filter (the 404 was producing too much current in water, may have caused the neons to be sucked in at night). I am going to do more frequent water changes (25 -30 % every 2nd day). The one thing that still puzzles me is that the nitrate test kit I bought showed 80 ppm. I did a 30% water change and it still shows 80ppm. Is the nitrite presence interfereing with my nitrate test?

Note Added 13th June 2003:

My Nitrates are reducing, Ibelieve that my tank will complete cycling by this weekend.

My SwordTails Have white spots on them, I did not pay attention when I bought them, I gave them a salt water bath and gave them a slime coat. I hove it is not Ich ( I think the swordtail is pregnant as well). They did not show any other symptoms of Ich, but for the spots. I am hoping that it is not Ich. Can someone recommend a tratment for Ich (Medication that will not kill by biofilter)

Note added 26th June 2003:

Treated ich with NoxIch, no more fish lost.

Last week my tank completed cycling, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are at 0. I believe my plants are taking care of all the nitrates, I have added DIY CO2 for my plants ( to also lower my Ph to add in a few Pigeon Blood Discus). A lot of algae though.

 

[i3k]

How did you introduce the new fish to your tank? If you just let them in the tank out of the bag then that would shock the fish. Did you let the bag with fish from the fish store float around in the tank so the temp. in the bag would equal up to the temp. in the tank? You need to let the bag float in the tak for about 15 minutes then you pour half a cup of water from the tank in to the bag with fish and let it float on top for another 15 min. Repeat the process about 3 times and then release the fish into the tank by netting them inside the bag and letting them lose in the tank...do not pour the water in the bag from the fish store into your aquarium. Also you said you set your heater to 75 degrees from 79 degrees...if you changed the temp. too quickly, that can also shock the fish.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Neons can be really tough to acclimate to a new tank, but the presence of any nitrites in the water could have been the culprit in your loss. Have you tested your tap water for nitrates? I ask because the presence of nitrates probably indicates your tank is cycling, but it could also have been in your tap water to begin with. If your tank is producing the nitrates, your system is cycling-- but not completely finished yet.

Another great way to treat for ich is to raise the temperature to about 82F; the parasites do not tolerate warm water very well. I would recommend leaving the temperature elevated for about two weeks to kill the living ich buggers, as well as the unhatched ones.

 

[venkiw]

Thanks for you advice and guidance.

I a glad to say that my tank finished cycling, and have become home to 4 pigeon bloods and 2 small marble viel angels and 2 bettas, all are healthy. All parameters are within safe range. I do 30% water change once a week, and the algae is gone too. I added a pouch of Green X (for the algae) and 10lbs of Driftwood. It turned my water brown, but it gives a more mature look to the aquarium and highlights the Green Leaves too.

I wont be adding any more fish, but rather wait for them to mature and pair to move them to a breeding tank.

After keeping the Discus for about six months (these were a experimental lot I bought for US$10/piece from a local breeder 2 - 3", to study their needs), I am planning to breed them.

 

[crocodylus]

Thanks for you advice and guidance.

I a glad to say that my tank finished cycling, and have become home to 4 pigeon bloods and 2 small marble viel angels and 2 bettas, all are healthy.

2 bettas on the same enclosure is not a very good idea, unless the other one is a female and has lots of places to hide, if its 2 males, how are you keeping them apart?

 

[venkiw]

Actually, I have 3 bettas, 1 Male and 2 females. My tank is well planted so they have lot of hiding spots (some caves and a lot of driftwood also serve as excellent hiding spots for all the fish). The females betta's fin got nipped by the male as soon as they came home, but it has grown back since then.

The male is no longer aggressive, he flares his gills when he comes across the female, I am going to float a plastic lid in the aquarium just in case they get some funny ideas .

 

[hockeydude1510]

I had the same problem with neons my local shop told me i probably let them out too soon and they had somewhat of a shock. But they are very easy fish to raise.